| Admit it: You wore your swim suit under your clothes | | | | souvenirs? |
| on the plane so you wouldn't waste a single minute | | | | Go to Chattel House Village, a collection of shops, |
| before diving into the warm, clear aqua Caribbean Sea | | | | along the Gap across from Dover Beach. Also, the |
| when you arrived in Barbados. You're not the first. | | | | store called Best of Barbados at Southern Palms hotel |
| Who could blame you? | | | | is a must for all sorts of clever souvenirs, many made |
| As soon as you towel off, you might want to get | | | | by local artisans. They also sell the artwork of famed |
| oriented to your holiday accommodation and the area | | | | Barbadian artist Jill Walker, whose beautiful village |
| you chose to stay in Barbados. | | | | scenes and florals have been silk-screened onto oven |
| If that area is the lively St. Lawrence Gap, you'll have | | | | mitts, place mats, tea towels, and other practical items |
| everything you need at your fingertips without need | | | | you can use at home. And don't miss the street |
| for a rental car: from serene beaches to a lively night | | | | vendors who will delight you with everything from Bob |
| life and little shops to romantic seaside dinners. "The | | | | Marley totes to conch shells to locally crafted jewelry; |
| Gap" offers many different types of accommodations, | | | | the street vendors make shopping lots of fun. |
| too, ranging from "budget" to moderately priced | | | | 5. Are there good restaurants for dinner along St. |
| casually elegant seaside apartments complete with | | | | Lawrence Gap? |
| kitchens. | | | | "Hmmm, is water wet?" The Gap is lined with |
| As a rental agent in Barbados, I'm consistently asked | | | | restaurants of every stripe -- casual, formal, romantic, |
| the following questions by guests about the 1.3km-long | | | | seaside, roadside - that serve all types of food - Bajan |
| Gap. I answer as a rental agent who's very familiar | | | | specialties, vegetarian, Mexican, Asian, and, of course, |
| with the area, but also as a Barbadophile who is | | | | seafood galore. Around 8pm, food vendors set up |
| passionate about my island home and its many | | | | large barbecue operations along the street and cook |
| charms. | | | | up flying fish, chicken, and all the fixin's all night long. |
| 1. What does "Gap" mean? | | | | Terrific food is as plentiful as our beautiful white-sand |
| Very simply, "street." | | | | beaches. Enjoy! |
| 2. Where's the nearest grocery store? | | | | 6. Which "liming" spots do you recommend in "the |
| The Gap Convenience Store, in the heart of the Gap. | | | | Gap"? |
| It has the basics: cereal, milk, cheese, sugar, ice cream, | | | | If you're throwing around a word like "liming," then |
| and rum. The large Big B supermarket is a 15-minute | | | | perhaps you know more about Barbados than you're |
| walk or short taxi drive from the Gap. Big B will take | | | | letting on! "To lime" is to go to a bar -- and there are |
| you and your groceries back to your holiday rental in | | | | plenty of choices lining the Gap. McBride's is a popular |
| its free shuttle. | | | | and pretty spot to listen to live music and have a rum |
| 3. Where can I get a good breakfast in "the Gap"? | | | | punch. The Ship Inn, next to McBride's, is another. Many |
| Southern Palms on Dover Beach offers beachside | | | | others dot the length of the Gap; it's fun to hop from |
| casual, open-air dining. Or try the Full Monty English | | | | one to another. |
| Breakfast at The Flying Fish restaurant. It's in Yellow | | | | Or not. Many guests prefer to rent a place right on the |
| Bird hotel, at the entrance to St. Lawrence Gap on | | | | sea so that the only music they hear is the gentle |
| Little Bay. If you're early enough (7:30 or so), you'll see | | | | rhythm of the waves of the Caribbean Sea. In St. |
| the local fishermen head out for the day. | | | | Lawrence Gap, there's something for every taste. |
| 4. Where can I buy flip-flops, a beach cover-up, and | | | | |